If you want to be immersed into the culture come here for lunch on the weekends. There may be a bit of a wait outside but you'll witness life as it is along the river front. Sundays some of the surrounding jewelry stores may be closed. The jade and items with gold and diamonds are dazzling. This restaurant fills up fast and some customers do phone orders. I like my gindui uncut- I like to bite into the round ball of goodness. Don't wait too long or it may deflate. If we didn't have Bud's baseball game after I would have liked to order a beef chow fun dry and a vegetable dish. Leftovers won't keep in the afternoon heat. Be firm although you will be tempted as they take your order from a menu or the rolling carts if not you'll have lots to take home with you. Everything is fast here, you won't need to wait for your food and it will be hot and fresh. read more

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My fave dim sum place in Chinatown! I think I rate this place slightly ahead of Mei Sum. A busy, bustling place, have to get your number to get into the queue to get in. But usually within 10 - 15 mins, you can get in (around 1130 in the moorning). I really like the curried beef tendons, spare ribs, and chicken feet. Yum! Just about everything we've ordered is good. I addition to dim sum, they have a pretty varied menu. Noodles, duck, chicken... you name it, they got it! Parking is pretty easy in the chinese cultural plaza structure. Get a ticket, then pay at the kiosk. read more

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Fook Lam is our go to place for dim sum in Honolulu Chinatown. They have all the standard dim sum items in Carts for you to choose from. You can also order directly. Their service is quick and attentive. It is good casual dim sum place for friends and families. I like their chicken feet, house special look fan, and beef tripe for their good flavour. I had their Shanghai dumplings once but do not want to have these again as their flavour isn't what I preferred. Their shrimp dumplings, taro puff, and pork hash (shu mai) are average in my opinion. We definitely will go back in the future with friends and families. read more

Fook Lam - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Pro tip. Chinese New Year's Eve was a great time to come. No wait at all! Spinach and shrimp dumpling was good. Prices have gone up 16 bucks for xiao long bao! Gin dui still excellent read more

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I wanted to eat dim sum and my dad loves to go to Fook Lam! As soon as we walked in, the owner said hi to my dad like they were besties! (wth?! lol). I've been to Fook Lam once before, so this wasn't my first time. My dads old coworker joined us too. We went for lunch on a Friday and it wasn't busy at all. We ordered tripe, chicken feet, shrimp dumpling, shrimp and chives dumpling, pork hash, and their house special look fun. Everything was good. The chicken feet wasn't as tender, so it was alright. The skin didn't fall off the bones easily. I got an order to go of chicken feet, tripe, and turnip cake with xo sauce for my mom. read more

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Came here for the first time with sister since I left Hawaii to Texas 4yrs ago. This was my absolute favorite dim sum place and it still is! It's so crazy expensive now. Some of these dim sum dishes shot up almost double the price. This will probably be my last time eating here during my vacation lol. I love getting the siu mai, spare ribs, seafood roll, Chinese donut, and sticky rice. These will always be my go-to choices. The staff are friendly and super fast as usual. Paid parking is in a structure opposite of the cultural plaza. There are unfortunately, a lot of homeless people in the are so be careful. You do have a view of the infamous dirty River Street canal, homeless and old people playing mahjong, and sometime, your occasional crackheads along the river dancing to no music and sleeping at the same time, it's to be back home lol. read more

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The perfect pit stop after landing in Honolulu. They have dim sum carts available and menus to order house special items. We had the house special rice rolls and XO turnip cakes. The turnip cakes had a nice consistency, more mochi like. Then the house special roll was soft, crispy, and meaty; a perfect balance of textures. The dim sum items were seasoned just right like siu mai, bean curd rolls, chicken feet, and shrimp rice roll. I wish there was hot mustard to dip, but they had a chili oil on the table. We came here before closing on Sunday and it was still packed! read more

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Service excellent good food. They have all types look fum with scallop,shrimp. You ll never stop eating . Plenty of parking in center. read more

Fook Lam - Tendon currt - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First time trying this place, travel to Hawaii with my family. All of the food here are pretty legit, and the rice noodles were so soft and chewy with the crispy shrimp and veggies wrapped inside. Tofu pudding has a limited amount, so remember to let the waiter to reserve you one. It was pretty good, soft and the right sweetness. Love the food and the service was fast, efficient and they were helpful and friendly. Love the vibe here. read more

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It's still probably the best tasting dim sum in Honolulu but still kinda dingy inside but not as dingy as Legend. My 2 favorites are the curry tendon, and the steamed spinach and shrimp dumpling. Chicken feet and chive dumplings are also great. read more

Fook Lam - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My absolute favorite dim sum place on the island. We have been coming here for years! Out favorites are the chicken feet which is so masterfully marinated and it comes with some peanuts at the bottom also. The shrimp and chive dumplings are a must and the siu mai is delicious. The owners are very nice. They told me they close in April for vacation and to come visit them any other month. Parking is via paid lots all around Chinatown. Indoor seating. Casual. They still push the carts around at this place. read more

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(Dined 05/21/23 SU @ 8:30am): Fook me... a dim sum restaurant with carts! A friend and I were meeting others for dim sum Sunday brunch at Fook Lam Restaurant. I loved dim sum and would eat it every day (I seemed to be able to eat ANYTHING everyday!), so I was excited about this. I always felt dim sum should be eaten during any time of the day, but rarely were you able to find anywhere that served it past lunch time. Was it fookin' good for my first time having dim sum on the island!? PURCHASE Shanghai Soup Dumplings 6pc ($13.95): Hot juicy suckers that were small enough to fit entirely in your mouth and exploded with steaming soup while the casing was chewy and sticky. It was always an adventure when I ate this because I rarely ever sucked the soup out first. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=jHVh8fPPG2AWWOp2A3Aj4g Here were additional notes of the partial food spread that was eaten: https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=urQjXLAdVqOxiEhuX5cxIQ ~Baked/Steamed Char Siu Bun 3pc ($5.50): Fluffy, sweet, and packed with pork. ~Chinese Red Bean Malasada 3pc ($5.50 x2): Cut in half for easier sharing, I felt they lacked red beans although the dough was chewy and nice. ~Deep Fried Mochi w/Meat 3pc ($5.50): Nice flakiness and loaded with seasoned minced meat. ~Deep Fried Spring Roll 3pc ($5.50): Standard and crispy. ~Steamed Shrimp Dumpling 3pc ($5.50): Lots of shrimp, and I could eat these all day with some hot spicy dipping sauce. ~Deep Fried Seaweed Roll 3pc ($7.25): Delicate and wasn't satisfying. ~Shrimp Look Fun ($8.50): I wished the shrimp was cut into bits instead of whole. ~Steam Fish Ball 3pc ($8.50): Packed fish in a ball! ~Steam Shrimp Ball 3pc ($8.50): Equally-packed shrimp in a ball! ~Chinese Style Salty Creamy Egg Bun 4pc ($9.95): A lovely dessert like a Cadbury egg. My first plate, and I was getting full! https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=nKT1PU3oF2cpseWnXFxDiQ SERVICE My friend and I showed up a tad late to meet others, so we buzzed past the older hostess and made a beeline to where they were sitting. Some food was already present, so we simply dug in. When it was time to hail someone for more food, one of the ladies pushing the carts https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=P7NZ4XDXrFLCYx7CY85oZQ got to us rather quickly. We weren't checked on frequently, so if we wanted more food, water, or to pay the bill, we had to hail someone down... which was pretty standard in dim sum circles. Once we were done, we simply split the receipt evenly and off we went - xie xie! PARKING (Varied; FREE this instance) Located in downtown Chinatown where parking could be difficult and pricey, it was a Sunday, so we found FREE parking along one of the many nearby streets and walked the rest of the way. Usually, this type of parking was either metered or timed. Otherwise, there were also paid parking structures all around - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A large spacious dining room https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=OVkmWzRnxN81qnhswZZwYA filled wall-to-wall with chairs and tables both round and square in addition to a few corner booths, a display case of various goodies once you entered, and a tiny counter at the front door to ask for a seat or pay your bill. There were a handful of framed pictures hung on the walls. Plenty of natural lighting came in through the large surrounding glass wall windows and front doors while many electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. There were no TVs nor any background music but plenty of chatter. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=maLHoIO5lku7lKmCM6VzVw ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL It was nice to catch up with fellow Yelp friends over dim sum at Fook Lam Restaurant, and I would consider a future visit. Generally-speaking, I enjoyed the food and the portion sizes were good. However, the prices seemed to be a bit elevated, and the service was what I've experienced elsewhere (i.e. curt and direct). Plus, I always preferred to support small mom & pop businesses. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience per person was around $26.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, although they accepted credit cards, not mine of choice... AMEX! 4.0 STARS read more

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Very good authentic dimsum [Honolulu HI] Since my knowledge of dimsum is limited to only shu mais and xiao long baos, my friend Kathy did all the ordering for us. The ladies would come around with their dimsum cart and this is what we got: Deep Fried Taro Puff Fried Shrimp Wonton Shanghai Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) Pan Fried Shredded Taro Cake Custard Tart (egg tart) Chicken Feet w/ Black Bean Sauce Steamed Spinach and Shrimp Dumpling Beef Look Fun Shu Mai Seafood Roll Steam Shrimp Ball Har Gow Most of the dimsum came in threes. What my friend did was she set a third plate for my hubby who couldn't join us. She would set the 3rd piece on the extra plate. Towards the end of our meal she had the plate wrapped to go so I can take it to him. Everything we ordered was delicious... except I still will not try the chicken feet. Parking is available in the building with inexpensive parking rates. Fook Lam Seafood Restaurant is located in the Chinese Cultural Plaza in Chinatown Honolulu. Thank you, Kathy! Review #3573 read more

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Located by the canal, parking can be on the street or at a small parking garage nearby with good rates. You'll also get a good view of the Asian men gathering around tables playing cards lol. It's a popular dim sum spot but I personally think there are better dim sum choices out there. I tried a couple of dim sum and they weren't as good as we hoped. The skin wrapper was either mushy or too thin that they broke apart when the dumplings were being picked up by chopsticks. The flavor wasn't lackluster. The congee was OK but nothing to write home about. The best item there that we all enjoyed was the deep fried sesame balls. Very crispy, good amount of sweetness, light and airy, a true delight! I feel like their deep fried food might be worth trying more than their steamed items. read more

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Fook Lam has always been my go to place for dim sums and morning breakfast! The line moves very fast and service is super quick too! Make sure to try out the dim sums there! The aunties usually go around offering you dim sum, so make sure to try those out. They also have really good jook, so definitely try those out! Their look fun is also really good, so make sure to order those as well! Definitely come here and share your food with your friends and family to try out more dishes. Don't be intimidated by the line or the crowd! It moves really fast and the aunties are really accommodating and friendly. Definitely come here for breakfast or brunch so you can get their best dishes early! read more

Fook Lam - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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So while looking for a good place to eat we passed by and said that we have to stop by and try this place. The food is excellent and the service was awesome. Gina and team was great. read more

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NEVER JUDGE A CHINESE RESTAURANT BY THE SERVICE. The ruder the better when it comes to dim sum. Apparently some of the servers use telepathy; they put dishes on your table before you even decide. Fook Lam is located adjacent to the river in a seedy part of China town. You can watch men gambling outside while you wait for a table. FOOD IS PRETTY DARN GOOD. House special Look Fun is excellent--tempura style shrimp with shreds of lettuce wrapped in chow fun noodles--has great texture and flavor. The Fook Lam style jook was the best jook I've ever had. Mix of beef, chicken, fish, and pork with a dash of white pepper was heaven (no thousand egg thank god). The paigu (Chinese spare ribs) were steaming with bits of garlic--super good. The shumai was a tad anemic. The shrimp with scallion and shrimp with spinach were colorful (come as three pieces only). Har gow was standard. Xiaolongbao was very good. Custard tarts were out of this world. The gailan (Chinese broccoli) was a bit overcooked. The place is typical chaotic Chinese restaurant. Go for the food! The manager was friendly and smiling (once she rang up the check LOL) I'll go back for sure read more

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Delicious Sunday Breakfast! Posting a little late as I went a couple of weeks ago...but this is a great spot in Chinatown, Honolulu. Great for big families, it was us and our friends with their kids, who had called a head to reserve a table. Dim sum is fresh and delicious, very flavorful. Lots of options to chose from. Everything comes out fast since they are so busy they anticipate such a huge rush and come out with food to choose from. Really friendly service too!! read more

Fook Lam - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Dim sum always hits the spot, and Fook Lam will more than satisfy your craving for these little bamboo-steamer dishes! My party went in at around brunch on a weekday, and it wasn't crowded at all. We were immediately seated. That being said, once you sit, get ready for the carts to come speeding towards you! They definitely are speedy with their service. For someone as indecisive as me, sometimes the pushiness of the servers can actually be a good thing! That, or having someone decisive in your party. I love watching the carts of steaming dishes roll in and being able to see what I'm ordering. Dim sum is the best because you can get a wide variety of so many yummy dishes in small portions! We ordered the pan-fried turnip cake, cheung fun (steamed rice rolls with filling), siu mai, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), lo mai gai (steamed sticky rice), har gow (steamed shrimp dumplings), chicken feet, egg tarts, and some others I'm forgetting! (There was a lot!) My favorites were the xiao long bao and egg tarts, but honestly, you can't go wrong here. Best to be adventurous and try a new dish! Honestly, the "worst" part of coming here is the parking. I'm sure you can find street parking, but there's also a parking garage, and it's super reasonable pricing. Now, I can see why Fook Lam ranked high on the Honolulu Magazine poll! I'll definitely be coming back when I'm in town. read more

Fook Lam - Har gow, cheung fun, lo mai gai, xiao long bao, siu mai, chicken feet - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Dim sum is always ono here. Service is also ALWAYS on point! These ladies take good care of you and your requests! I've been there when they've been slammed with patrons as well as on a weekday just before the lunch rush. They still get food out to you quickly either way. read more

I constantly crave dim sum and my go to spot recently closed! My boyfriend used to eat here when he was younger so we decided to give it a try. The restaurant was clean and even the floors were very clean! We were quickly seated and given a menu with an array of pictures which was perfect since you could see what you were ordering. They also had the dim sum carts going around. It was impossible not to order everything! As usual, my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I had ordered too much but don't worry, it made for perfect left overs! The staff were very attentive and nice! I'll definitely be back for my dim sum fix! read more

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I love dim sum and this place had great dim sum. Prices were high average but made up for in quality and service. I expected less expensive prices in Chinatown but everywhere seems to have elevated prices nowadays. read more

The food is delicious. And the food came quickly with only a small wait for the congee. read more

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Very good dim sum place located in Chinatown. It wasn't too busy since there were a lot of available seats but the flavor and quality remain consistent. Service is what you expect at any dim sum restaurant, slow and not as attentive. Their dim sum and the cooked large dishes are delicious. Full of flavor and tasty. read more

Fook Lam - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This place serves up seriously legit dim sum! An incredibly authentic experience, with everything fresh and steaming hot--not your typical cold dumplings from a cart. While they still have carts with great options, we loved how fresh everything was. The bird's nests were some of the best we've ever had, and every dumpling was to die for, especially the soup dumplings. Highly recommend if you're looking for authentic dim sum in Honolulu! read more

Fook Lam - Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First time at this restaurant. Wife and I decided to get dim susum for lunch. We ordered Char Siu look funn, Spinach shrimp dumplings and of course Shumai. I thought all three were very good. The Char sui look funn was more of a look funn burrito. The Char ssiu was wrapped in the look funn noodle. My wife called in the order, when I got there the lady commented " you're here already. 'Well I explained the I live across the street. After a some chit chat I told her the I was a Yelper. And if the food was good I would give the restaurant Five Stars. She laughed and said her name was Stella. This is a good option if looking for dim sum in China Town. Enjoy read more

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The food is good but man, on the steep side. Most dim sum plates start around $6. The custard tarts are that price but they're a little small. Xiao long bao comes with 6 soup dumplings and it's about $16. They were very good though. We also had the fish balls and baked char siu bao. These were good as well. The service is fast and polite but a little pushy. They'll put plates down and say, "You like this!" Just be advised, lol. Surprise of the day: I asked for takeout minute chicken on cake noodle. When I got home it was chicken and beef on crispy chow mein. But it was really tasty. Lots of gravy with choy sum too. It's a nice restaurant, kept clean. Parking was $2 in the Cultural Center lot. read more

Fook Lam - Chicken and beef on crispy chow mein - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Not sure where to do dim sum I consulted, Paul C, "unofficial mayor of Chinatown"and Nadine C who both recommended Fook Lam. The neighboring restaurant where the family has been going recently was full so it was a no brainer. Luckily we were able to waltz in and only waited 2 min for them to clear a table since I was ravenous. Hadn't been to this place in years and was so glad we got reacquainted!! 3 of us made the perfect number for dim sum since most dishes came in 3s. We shared about 11 dishes and had some left over. We had many of the usuals like pork Siu Mai, foo juk bundles one with seafood, one with veges, mochi rice, look fun with beef, beef balls, as well as shrimp balls with shiitake mushrooms, fishcake balls, etc... My faves were the Xiao long bao (theirs are small and come with a soup spoon) and Fresh cucumbers which were like a Chinese version of the Korean kimchee cucumbers. These were seasoned with garlic, chili, and peanuts, a nice contrast to the rest of the dim sum. We ended with a fresh custard tart that was soft inside with just the right amount of sweetness surrounded by a nice flaky crust. Yum! I spied one of my most challenging students this year dining with his parents and went over to say hi . He looked much cuter outside of the classroom. We both went to pay at the cash register and they ended up picking up my tab! This was a first in my many years of teaching! Hooray for teacher appreciation! read more

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What? The best service and attention from all the staff ladies! Other Chinese restaurants are not that hospitable but this one was. The food was amazing and all items on the menu were available. They offered dim sum plates during out menu order so that was a hit. Tasty food and inside dining was very clean. How did we get here ? It was close stop from the Red Line trolley, awesome day and food. Restrooms are available with code, sorta clean. I recommend, even for first time visitors in Chinatown, like me. read more

Fook Lam - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Decent dim-sum in the heart of Chinatown. The place is a little sketch, but the service and prices were decent. FYI, there's parking right behind the restaurant. read more

Went here on a weekday and there thankfully was no line. The dim sum cart came around quickly and our order for other items taken promptly. But it took forever for the lo bak goh and minute chicken noodles to come out!! We waited an hour for the noodles and ended up having up take it home without eating it at all. Soooo slow that day! The food was good. I particularly liked the short rib look fun. Need a bit more meat so that the meat to noodle ratio was more appropriate but it was delicious all the same. The noodles actually were not great. I do not recommend. They aren't really that crispy and the veg they use doesn't go with the minute chicken well. The lo bak goh, char siu bao, pan fried shrimp and chive dumplings were really good. I would definitely come again but not order the noodles. read more

Fook Lam - Minute chicken chow mein - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Wow it's been awhile since I've come here. It's my favorite place for dim sum in Chinatown. Lots of things have changed here. The first is their prices lol. I had sticker shock when it was $90 for the both of us. And that most items were over $5 a plate. Dim sum was always known to be an affordable type of meal, but this kinda blew our budget lol. They have automated parking now at cultural plaza. First 30 mins is free and every hour is only a dollar. Not bad considering you don't need validation. I was also slightly confused that day because there was chair covers all over the restaurant. I honestly thought they were closed for someone's party that day. read more

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The Look Fun was really good -- fresh and flavorful. The other dishes were okay, nothing too special. Service was decent. Overall, a solid experience. Cart service is a special service that you cannot find in other Chinese dim sum restaurants nowadays read more

My favorite dim sum restaurant. Everything tasty! Owner recommend new menu lookfun with lettuce and tempura shrimp. It was really good! Lettuce refresh mouse and match with crispy tempura shrimp. You must try it‼ read more

Fook Lam - New special menu - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Came here for lunch with my dad and literally the second we sat down they were trying to put dishes on our table that we did not want before we could even say anything. 3 people all at once trying to force food on us lol. My dad does not eat red meat though so after we told them a couple times they backed off a little. Other reviews mention this as well so I'm sure it's a selling tactic of theirs that works on some to overwhelm people who can't say no. The food was good. Price wise it is a little more expensive than other dim sum restaurants in the same area. If you're okay with pushy servers then I would give this place a try. They were nice otherwise. I also used the restroom while I was there which was surprisingly very clean considering this is in China town. read more

Fook Lam - Spareribs - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Among all the things we tried here, I loved their cucumber salad and lotus mochi rice. The place has a buzz and service was really quick. Everything we ordered came really quick. None of the dim sums we ordered disappointed! read more

Fook Lam - Chicken feet - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

First timer! loved the dim sum! very large selection. Normally I would order the usual, manapus, pork hash, sshrim shu mai, shrimp with chives. This time true something different. beef tendons and seafood bundle that was amazingly delicious! Chinatown is usually a seedy place, but, it has its own charm! Love coming here! once in a while!! shopping is fun.. all things lei stands, crack seed stores...herbal teas etc. read more

Fook Lam - Variety of dim sum - Dim Sum Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place was pleasant surprised. They service you quickly but be careful the cart lady will put it on your table be for you say yes. If you don't want something you'll Have to say no. The "pork hash" was okay not 5 stars maybe 4 stars but rvrthing else was delicious. The lo bok go is pan fried on the side and is perfectly crisp. The sesame balls was so yummy yum i would definitely order them again. The seafood chives was yummy with all kind of stuffing. The beef chow fun was the best so far they give you a lot of bean sprouts and green onions. See my photos. The only thing that was bad was the air is blasting and your hot food get cold quickly read more

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I've been to Fook Lam a couple times with 1 friend who recommended it. We have a regular dim sum group, but others don't like FL. We can't imagine why not. It is small and old-school, which we consider a plus. They do have carts for a short time during mid-day. In addition, you can order from the menu. You have a nice view out to Nuʻuanu River and the men playing Go on the tables. It is my 2nd favorite dim sum place after Mei Sum. read more

Has cart service, seated fairly quickly on a holiday weekend, aggressive service (they try to push you to get more things), reasonable price (Flavor/taste) Dim sum - average Chow fun - average Wonton noodle soup - really good, would come back just for the wontons Porridge - below average Unlike most dim sum places, they have siu mai/pork hash and har gow readily available. Made to order food also came relatively quick read more